Like this:

Well, I’ve finally had all I can stand of target panic: 1 out of 8 targets still sucks. Last year it got so bad it was every other target, this year I’ve managed to move away from that, but still, I lost 21 points at RBO’s Big 40 shoot to shots I anticipated and flinched on, including one arrow that pretty much missed the entire planet.* I haven’t shot back tension since, oh, 1996-98, and back then it was a big release, with a fat rope to put around the string (this is somewhat pre-string loop – I know, I know, for a lot of you, dinosaurs roamed the earth back then…), and I had NOBODY to teach me how to use it, nor were there a lot of online sources at that time, so I ended up having score sheets that looked like this:

Hoyt made these bows around 1997? 98? Click to go to the current Hoyt bows.

10

10

10

10

0

10

10

0

10

0

You get the picture – I was shooting a Hoyt Deviator at the time, and while it was an outstanding bow, it was about as forgiving as the IRS. With a 32″ draw length, shooting 3L-28 ACC’s at approximately 60 pounds (and that’s off the top of my head – they may have been 3-49’s) I was pushing 325 FPS shooting IBO when breaking 300 was magical. Of course, with that setup, I either hit EXACTLY what I wanted, or never saw the arrow again. I’ve never seen ANYTHING bury itself in loam or turf like an ACC doing 325 FPS.

I went to the shop today and purchased a T.R.U. Ball Inside Out. (Not the “X,” this must be last year’s model…) I know all of the drills I’m supposed to do to beat target panic, blank-bale, 3-5 yard etc, but I just CANNOT bring myself to shoot twice the length of my stabilizer, so I’m starting the practice at 12 yards, and so far, I’m learning how to get my **** together with this release. I know Bernie Pellerite always says that a lot of competition archers are actually fishermen in training, but I already have enough expensive hobbies, and I KNOW I suck at fishing, so I’ll stick with archery and bowhunting, thank you very much.

The X model seems to come with a rubber piece on the finger grip.

That being said, I am still up in the air over leaving the cam where it is, with the warning click in place, or turning it so the release just fires without a warning click. Out of thirty shots this evening, I still punched two of them as soon as I heard the click, and one shot I managed to pull through the click completely. (That one hit what I was aiming at, but come on, I’m at 12 yards. I can probably hit the spot THROWING the arrow this close.)

I am hopeful that this will refine my form and my aim: it wasn’t until I started shooting Known 45 that I ran into target panic, really, but then again, now I have to AIM, not just ‘pull back, put the pin in the middle and slap the trigger.’

I’ll keep trying, because as always, my goal is to be better this week than I was last week, and that goal is always within reach. (Except for cleaning out the garage.)

* I think it was target 32 – a 42 yard shot on a standard, medium deer target – the kill was very chewed up, I couldn’t make out the rings with my binoculars, let alone through the scope on my sight. I lined the shot up, looked through the peep sight, and clenched the bow and release so hard I missed the target entirely. Not only the target, but the thousand or so BIG trees behind the target. I looked at John and he said “I didn’t even hear it hit anything.” I shrugged and said “Apparently, I missed the entire planet that time…

The Hips Archery Targets we ordered at the ATA show have arrived and are in the store now! I love these things, they’re good for field points or broadheads. I’ve put well over a year of practice into the Hips target I have at home, and it’s STILL stopping arrows without a problem. The last bag target I bought lasted three months.

THANK YOU to everyone who came out and shot today – it’s been a rough couple of weeks for weather, and I know even more folks would have shown up today if it wasn’t for making up work missed due to the bad weather the last two weeks. (Scott, Danny, Killzone, etc.)

We had our best attendance in the last two years today, and Clay and I are determined to create a new course for everyone next month, depending, of course, on how wet the ground is over the next month. Now for the scores:

NOVICE

Dalton Ruttledge

204-5

Marc Thompson

193-2

Esan Bright

184-2

Cody Bailey

181-0

Carlos Wimberty

178-0

HUNTER

Dylan Besosa

189-2

Kyle Cooper

184-4

Trepe Jaworksi

181-1

Bob Weekley

170-0

OPEN-B

Michael Barnes

180-3

OPEN-C

Tim Howron

208-4

WOMEN’S HUNTER

Sian Weekley

186-1

Kim Parrot

185-2

KNOWN 45

Mark Keese

206-8

Cory Bryant

204-2

Jay Arnold

196-2

Shane Arnold

192-4

Ezra

188-3

SENIOR

RC Shoemake

194-2

KIDS – FUN

Hunter Arnold

161-1

Fischer Arnold

121-3

FUN

Kitt Pettus

David Carney Sr

David Carney Jr

R. E. Smith

Preston Cochoran

Caleb Walker

Alex Smith

Garrett Frazier

Ken Gary

Diana Clark

Stehl Saviogk

Robert Wash

Jimmy Sturwold

Nick Sturwold

George Plemmons

Dennis Page

Jody Brown

Hunter Cunningham

David Cunningham

Lee Conn

Ty Hunt

K McCay

James Grizzard

Chris Powers

Ken Yearti

Tony Menary

Now for the photographs:

I didn’t take a lot (obviously) but it was hard work getting Hunter and Fischer (green hoodies) to smile.